Stage set for new Odyssey

Trommeln in der Nacht, a play written by German theater playwright Bertolt Brecht, was first performed by the Munchner Kammerspiele in 1922 and a new version directed by Christopher Ruping is due to be staged in China. This summer, two German theater productions are being staged in Beijing and Shanghai through July 14: Thalia Theatre's Die Odyssee, a performance of Homer's epic historical masterpiece, and Trommeln in der Nacht by Munchner Kammerspiele. The program is jointly presented by Berliner Theatertreffen, one of the most important cultural forces in German-speaking countries, Goethe-Institut China, the prominent German cultural organization and Wu Promotion, a private Chinese events-promotion agency for the performing arts. The director Antu Romero Nunes brings Homer's classic character to the stage with performances by actors Thomas Niehaus and Paul Schroder.